The vaulted aisles of the north end of the Basilica of Maxentius are the signature remnants of the massive Roman structure.

While tourists still flock to the Forum Romanum to see the basilica and other monuments, UCLA's Favro hopes that the Rome Reborn project will inspire the public to see the Eternal City in a different light.

"I hope people will understand ancient Rome as a living city," she said, "not an uninhabited archaeological ruin."